What I Like About You
by Jenye
Summary: A collection of one-shot stories centered around some of Dan and Blair's favorite things.[Discontinued, for now. Keeping up only because all chapters are stand-alone fics.]
1. Apron

_Disclaimer:_ Gossip Girls is not mine. Trust me, if it was Dan and Blair would be married with babies by now.**  
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**Author's Note:** Since _Of Desktops and Louboutins_ got such wonderful feedback - a HUGE THANK YOU to all who reviewed/favorited/alerted to the story - I decided to make a little collection of different one-shots of Blair and Dan. At least we'll give it a shot and see if people like the idea. All of the words are different "favorites" that Dan and Blair have about each other. ALL of these stories stand alone and can be from different time periods in their lives (high school, marriage, etc.), but I promise they'll all be feel good stories - since we get such downers from the actually GG writers.

And YES they will all be **rated M for a reason**. Some will be more graphic than others, but they will ALL have a certain amount of Dair lovin' going on so if you're too young or don't like that sort of thing just hit the back button now and we'll all be good to go. Once again, no Beta so all mistakes belong to me!

**I WOULD LOVE WORD SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE LETTERS **since I don't have any of these (well maybe one or two) planned out.

Alright, so here we go!

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><p><strong>Apron<strong>

_"She has this God-awful, gaudy apron she wears when she's feeling like Suzy Homemaker. I think Serena got it for her as a joke when we got married, but she wears it – well, I guess it's not all bad. One time she wore it with nothing on under…"_

If one more thing went wrong that day Dan Humphrey would probably find the tallest building in Manhattan and just jump. He had been about ten minutes late to work, which the reasoning was well worth it, but the ass chewing he got from his supervisor was far surpassed unnecessary. He knew the office was stressed about the coming deadlines, but there was still no need for her to scream at him for nearly another twenty minutes about how important it was to be on time. He had worked for the Post almost two years and this was maybe the third time he'd be late. He chalked it up to her either needing to take a pill or get laid. Then a co-worker had decided to spill ink all over his finalized layout. Okay, so they hadn't done it on purpose, but it didn't make the remaking of the pieces any more relaxing that day. Of course, that made he nearly forget about his meeting across town so after almost laying in the middle of the road to flag a taxi he made it – only three minutes late and only slightly looking like an unmade bed that was out of breath from running every time his feet hit the pavement. That lead to him staying late because of the new additions his superiors wanted to add to the latest edition.

Finally, he was slumped down in the back of a taxi heading home. He would have normally walked since it was only about seven blocks, but with the fact that he was already getting home late and dead tired, a taxi seemed like the best possible solution. He pepped up when the taxi rolled up in front of his building; handing the driver his money and walking toward the front door. He greeted the doorman with a friendly hello and headed to his – their – penthouse. Yes, it was their home because there was no way in hell Dan Humphrey would live in the Upper East Side without the feisty brunette that claimed his heart almost four years earlier.

When the elevator opened to his floor he pushed himself off the wall with every intention of heading straight to the couch to crash, but then he heard the music coming from the kitchen and his attentions were averted. This was obviously not a common night in the Humphrey house. It wasn't that Blair couldn't cook – she had made it a point to take classes before they got married – but most of the time she ordered out or brought a chef in when she was feeling like a home cooked meal without getting her hands dirty. She was still Blair Waldorf at heart, after all.

The music was familiar and Dan smirked before he rounded the corner because he heard Blair's voice singing the lyrics right along with the radio. She was obviously in a good mood. He could smell the aroma of garlic and his stomach nearly growled at the idea of having Italian. Blair had wanted to learn the basics of cooking, but she had soon found a passion for Italian cuisine and Dan was never one to argue with a passionate Blair. He dropped his bag near the coat closet and was about to make a witty comment until he actually walked into the kitchen and got glimpse at what his wife was wearing as she prepared dinner.

Her dark hair was cascading down her bare back and he could tell she was wearing her beloved apron by the two small black straps that came to a bow in the middle. With her back to him he could only see the ruffled pair of red boy shorts that she wore and he hoped that was all she had underneath that awful apron. She still must not have known of his presence because she just continued to sing along and dance around in her tall black pumps.

He decided to watch her for a moment longer. She truly was a work of art and it wasn't just because of her luscious body. Although the way her petite curves moved with the music was enough to make him want to take her right there in the kitchen – like he had that morning. He smiled at the memory. Yes, her body was absolutely brilliant, but her heart was worth even more. It was moments like these that he always had the urge to call up his father and tell him just how right he was; girls like her are usually worth it and Blair was absolutely no exception.

Finally he decided to move his way forward, still unheard by Blair, and lean against the countertop that closed off part of the kitchen. He could feel himself already as hard as a rock as he listened to her hum the part of the song she didn't know by heart yet. She continued her private show in front of the stove while she stirred something in a large pot.

"Are you expecting someone?" His voice was an octave lower than normal and he had expected to startle her slightly, but Blair didn't even flinch. She had known he was there the entire time and he swallowed hard at the thought of her putting on that little show just for him. When she turned around his mouth went dry. She was wearing nothing but a pair of heels, panties, and an apron. God, she really was some sort of fantasy.

Her smirk was sexy and playful, "I was actually. My husband was supposed to be home about an hour ago, but you'll have to do."

Dan slowly moved around to the other side of the counter and stood directly in front of her, but keeping his distance – wanting her to be the first to reach for him. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back against the counter. He had to keep his arms tight to stop himself from reaching out for her beautiful, delicate, exposed flesh. She was absolute perfection.

"Well, his loss, I suppose," He shrugged, "So what were you two going to have for dinner?"

"Oh this?" Blair looked back at the contents of the stove, "Nothing special. The dinner was typical, but it was the present I planned to give to him before dinner that would have really been his favorite. Like I said though, he's late and I had to go ahead and start without him."

Dan tried to keep his eyes on hers, but he found himself shamelessly letting his eyes roam over the parts of her curves that shown through the gaudy fabric of her black and white apron. Her hands rested on her hips and he wanted nothing more than to replace her hands with his lips. Without thinking, he couldn't play this game much longer anyways, he stepped forward and brought her to him. He swore he heard her gasp as he watched her eyes grow heavy with desire.

His lips were almost against hers as he spoke, "Well I hope the only thing you started without me was dinner."

"Mm, and what if I started the _other_ activities before your arrival?" Blair looked up at him with dark eyes.

"Then I would have to ask that you show me exactly what you did before my presence," His lips were against hers and they both went into a near frantic mode. Blair's hands racked through his curls and Dan's hands roamed the bare skin of her back before going down to lift her up and placing her on the counter behind him.

Her lips never left his as she pushed his coat down his arms and onto the floor. Her legs wrapped around his waist to pull him as close to her as possible. Her core was already aching for him. Even after two years of marriage she was amazed at the reaction her body had to him. From the mere moment she had heard the elevator announce his presence she could feel the familiar stir low in her stomach that signal the need she had for her husband. She smirked against his lips when she felt how hard he was for her. She had never found such pleasure in knowing the effect she had on someone until she had Dan. Just the look in his eyes he got for her was enough to make her scream with pleasure and yet that was only the beginning.

His hands made easy work of removing the apron and tossing it to the ground with his coat. Her body flesh against the material of his shirt made her scream out in pleasure. Her body was already hyper sensitive to his touch and the contrast was doing maddening things to her nerves. She let his lips pull away from hers to leave open, wet kisses down her neck and exposed collarbone. Blair had learned early on just how much Dan enjoyed the contour of her collarbone and she relished in the feeling of his talented lips there.

While his lips nearly turned her to mush against him, his fingertips were busy leaving heated tracks along her exposed legs. With every stroke he felt her buck her hips against him and with each move his control slipped even more. Once he was satisfied with his time spent on her collarbone he slowly moved down her body to place a dark pink, erect nipple into his mouth. Her cry was instant as she held his head close to her body, never wanting to break this contact. Her head flew back in pleasure, her mouth hanging open in silent moans of pleasure. While his lips worshiped one breast openly the other was being toyed with by a skilled hand.

His movements switched with an intermission of kissing the valley between her breasts before he attached his lips to other to make sure no one felt neglected in this mission. Blair continually formed words of praises and affection as Dan made his journey lower, making her lean back even farther against the granite countertops. If Blair hadn't been in such a moment of desire she probably would have thought she looked foolish, but with the view of Dan's lips traveling down to her bellybutton she could honestly say she had never felt like more a woman than in this moment; just like every other passionate moment with her husband.

Right when she thought he was going to remove her last offending garment he moved back up to her lips and kissed her with so much passion Blair swore she went into a daze. His hand gripped her curled strands as he moved her to once again be sitting on the counter flesh against him. Her arms draped around his neck in a possessive way and her tongue fought with his for dominance. Their hunger for one another was growing and Dan knew he wanted to have her in a more loving and accessible setting so that he could worship her in the way that she deserved. Of course, these hungry moments atop the counter were among some of his favorite, but tonight he wanted to make long, slow, passionate love to his wife and they both knew countertops were meant for fucking not love making.

"We're going to bed," He said against her lips, lifting her from the counter.

"Dinner…burn," Blair's argument was pathetic at best as she molded herself even closer to him, trying to work the buttons of his shirt as he lead them away from the kitchen.

"Let it burn," He brushed her argument aside, needing nothing more than to completely feel her against him.

Explaining to the firemen how they had forgotten about the bread in the oven was beyond worth it.

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><p>Okay, should I continue?<br>Suggestions for letters B, C, and D are **WANTED**!


	2. Bubbles

_Disclaimer:_ Own nothing - just borrowing.

**Author's Note:** I must thank everyone who has reviewed/favorited/alerted this story! Your support has been so sweet already! And the suggestions? Oh my gosh! They were FANTASTIC! I must give a specific shout out to **Marlie** & **jane cartier**; your support and talks are so wonderful!

And the best news: I have a beta! HUGE thank you goes out to **ivorykeys09** for her wonderful (and freakishly fast) input! She's an excellent author herself so check her out NOW! She made this chapter 10x better than I ever could! Thank you again for your inspiration and help!

There were many great suggestions for the B, but I was torn between two that were given by **ElenaBelle** and **DAIR FTW** so...well you'll see what I did.

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><p><strong>Bubbles<strong>

"_She has this thing about bubbles. The amount tells all about her mood. If she's hiding beneath a blanket of bubbles, run or bring champagne. Those are your only options. If you can still make out more than her face; well, lets just say your night is about to get so much better. Thank God for bubbles."_

_You're welcome._

Looking back, Dan would realize that simple text message from Jenny had been a dead giveaway, but at the time he figured his spunky sister was just being her sarcastic self and he'd pay for whatever thing she was mad at him for when he got back to the loft. He cleared the message and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He popped the collar of his coat to try and keep himself warm as he maneuvered through the cold streets of his stomping grounds in Brooklyn. He couldn't believe how fast winter had come upon his hometown, but then again the days seemed to blur together lately with all the homework he had. Then there was the stress of applying for colleges and where that money was magically going to appear from – yes, it was an understatement to say that Dan Humphrey had certainly not taken the time to smell the damn roses.

He finally made it to his destination and swung the door open. His first reaction was to call out for his sister and ask her what her text message had been about, but his words were cut short when he saw all the random candles scattered around the loft. He slowed his motions as he sat his bag down by the coat rack and then shrugged off his coat. He wanted to call out, but he wasn't sure who he wanted to answer the call. If it was Jenny that undoubtedly confirm that his sister was not the innocent one he hoped she still was. And if it was Rufus – well, there wasn't enough bleach in the universe to erase that memory.

It was as if he had to take a minute to build up the courage to move from his doorway, but finally he began to walk forward. Had he arrived before the intended recipient of this display or was the recipient already receiving their present? He let out a disgusted groan at the mere thought. Shaking his head he continued his cautious walk forward, realizing there was an obvious path being made by the candles. He nearly dug himself an early grave when he saw where the candles led.

The bathroom.

Why couldn't it be a bedroom? That way he would know he was safe if he just avoided said bedroom and ran immediately to his room to put on headphones. No, it had to be the bathroom where everyone needed to frequent. He ran his fingers through his cropped hair and sighed. The door was propped open slightly and there was a glow coming from within the bathroom that said the candles continued into the now hidden room. As much as Dan hated to do it, he slowed himself to a stop and listened for any signs of life behind the door. He was slightly relieved when he _didn't_ hear any noises of the X-rated value, but was slightly confused when heard almost nothing at all. Only the soft splashing of water to signal that in fact someone was in there.

He cleared his throat and walked forward again until he reached the doorway. He leaned slightly to the left so that he could peek into the room without getting caught or a glimpse of something he could clear from his mind. The view he fell upon gave him a sense of relief, but also filled him with immediate arousal. He swallowed hard at his first glimpse of her.

Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy pile atop her head, with a few forgotten strands hanging around the base of her slender neck. The bathtub was only half full with a thin layer of bubbles floating on the top. Her knees rose above the water as she rested and her pale skin glistened and looked almost _tanned_ against the dim lighting of the candles. He couldn't see the assets he now so desperately wanted to, but the look of her in full relaxation was maddening. He watched her for a moment, her head tilted back against the tub. Her long neck made its way into her beautiful collar bone, before the bubbles completely cut him off from the gorgeous breasts he knew were just below his line of vision.

Finally, Dan decided he needed to make his presence known and slowly made his way into the bathroom before he cleared his throat. Blair seemed only slightly startled by his sudden appearance and smiled up at him with those lips he had long since become addicted to. He pushed the door completely closed with his body weight and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't say anything, just looked at her with a slightly amused but completely enamored expression.

"You like to keep a girl waiting. Don't you, Humphrey?" She pushed herself up slightly so that she was in a more seated position in the tub.

Much to his dismay, even with her sitting up he was still unable to see more of her gorgeous body. He gave a small laugh, his eyes never leaving hers, "And when did Blair Waldorf add _Breaking and Entering_ to her resume?"

"Hm, way before your time, but this was no B and E," She smiled, leaning forward to drop her arms down into the warm water. Running her hands up her shoulders to get them wet, she said, "Your sister is more useful than I previously thought."

Dan wanted to respond, but he found himself mesmerized by the tiny beads of water that he could barely make out as they ran back down her arms. He easily envisioned himself licking those very droplets away. Yes, that was going to be on his to-do list before the night was over, but when she cleared her throat he brought his attention back up to her now smug-looking face. It could never be said that Blair Waldorf was not a tease to her very core.

"And what if this had been my dad walking in here?" He raised an eyebrow, trying to remove the smug look off her face and gain the upper hand.

"Do I look like an amateur to you?" Blair laughed, "He's with your sister. They should be gone for quite sometime. Jenny is dragging him to see some band in Queens and then to an Open Mic night. By the time they get home I'll be long gone...and you'll be _very_ satisfied."

Dan was thankful to be leaning against the door when her voice dropped in that seductive way because he probably would have been on his knees from the look she was giving him. He remained cool on the outside, but his insides were near boiling with his desire for her.

"Now, if there are no more questions," she leaned back against the tub once again, "I must say who knew the bathtubs in Brooklyn were so spacious? Care to join me and see?"

He didn't even try to come up with a clever line, but instead made quick work of removing himself from his clothes. The way her eyes roamed his body did not go unnoticed by him and it was part of the reason why he took his time removing his jeans and boxers. Everything Blair did was a turn on to him, but nothing compared to the look she got in her eyes for him. It drove him mad. She watched him hungrily as his boxers fell to the floor and she saw just exactly what she did to him. She even felt her grip on the tub become tighter as her nerves sang with anticipation.

Within moments he was sliding in behind her. She waited until he was completely settled before she moved herself back between his legs, pressing her back against his lean chest. She let out a small moan at the intimate contact she had been craving most of the day. Of course, she knew there was much more to come, but she was not beyond enjoying this simple moment as he wrapped his arms around her and left light kisses against the back of her neck. She dropped her hands beneath the water to rest against his knees, tracing light circles around his kneecaps.

He ran his hands along her shoulders, pressing lightly in places he knew she'd be tight and was rewarded by the breathless moan she released as her head dropped back to rest on his shoulder. He lived for moments like these. This was a side of Blair that no one beside himself got to see and he prided himself in that. He loved watching her laugh, pout, and even yell, but in those were moments the world was welcome to see. But not this Blair. No, this relaxed and completely unguarded Blair was _only_ his.

"You are absolutely gorgeous," He whispered into her ear before taking the lobe gently between his teeth. His hands moved from her shoulders to run down her sides. He felt her shiver against his touch and even within the warm water the goose bumps became present on her flesh.

She smiled, her eyes closed as her head remained against his shoulder, "You are going to get _so_ lucky tonight."

Dan couldn't help the smile that came across his face as he moved down her neck and began to leave open kisses on her shoulder. He let one of his hands move back up her body, bringing with him a few of the bubbles that still floated atop the water. He let them rest against her skin; pulling his lips off her shoulder he began to blow on her flesh. Blair's response was immediate. Her eyes flew open as she let out a gasp. The contrasting sensations felt unreal. The cool air of his breath against the warmth of her skin was enough, but then she felt the fingers of his other hand find her sensitive center and she nearly lost it. Her hands gripped tight against his knees as she moaned with pleasure.

"Oh God," She whimpered, leaning her head back again as he circled her center, causing the bundle of nerves there to go into overdrive.

Her original plan for the evening had been long and drawn out, but with her nerves already frayed she needed him closer _now_. She moved, while she was still able to think straight, away from his touch but only long enough so that she could turn herself around and straddle the man before her. Dan only protested until he realized what she was doing and was soon silenced. He looked up at a now very exposed Blair that had placed herself atop him. He had never once thought of the advantages of having a rather large tub, but this moment was going up to the top of that unmade list. Her knees fit snuggly on either side of him and his hands immediately went to roaming up her slick thighs. He leaned forward to leave hot, wet kisses just beneath her small breasts.

Blair's fingers went to grasp his short hair as her head tilted back in pleasure. She loved moments like these. Moments where they were both driven by the hunger they had for one another, but yet Dan still managed to make her feel wanted, worshipped, loved. She slowly pulled away slightly from his lips, but only to move back down into the water to find the fulfillment she had needed since she woke up that morning. With the combination of how wet she was for him and the warm water around them, Dan filled her easily and their moans filled the quiet room. Blair remained still for a moment, savoring and adjusting to the feel the Dan inside her. It was something she had felt so many times, but every time was just as perfect and wanted as the last.

Her lips found his and Dan's hands moved to grip her hips. He always welcomed her stilling after he first entered her, because every time he was amazed at just how tight she is and how perfectly he fits within her. If she moved instantly he'd probably come unglued within seconds. Finally, he felt her rise up from him and then slide back down slowly. Her movements were magnified by the splashing of the water around them, causing some of it to go on the tiles beneath them. He could tell by her uneven strokes that tonight wasn't going to be record breaking in length, but he's okay with that since he didn't feel like he could last much longer either.

She panted his name as her nails dig into his shoulders. She loved leaving her little marks on him - mostly in places where no one will see - but it's still her way of marking her territory. He loved the possession she felt over him and welcomed any bite or claw marks she wished to brand him. He pulled her closer to take in one of her taunt nipples, her cries ringing out and he's thankful, once again, that no one else is home. These moans and cries are meant for his ears only.

"Baby, I'm so close," Her voice was completely unguarded now as she tossed her head back in pleasure. Her movements were losing their rhythm, but Dan grasped on to them to stead her slightly.

"Let go." He felt his own resolve leaving as her cries became the only thing he heard.

She tilted her head down, grasping the sides of his face, while kissing him and grinding against him. Within seconds he felt her walls clamping around him and she's moaned against his lips, whispering words of love and passion. The feel of her was maddening, but it's the mixture with her loving words that send him over the edge right after her.

Slowly they both came down from their high and, with some remorse, Blair removed herself from him. Settling back against him, Dan's arms went around her again as he left sweet kisses against her shoulders. She intertwined their fingers. They both remained quiet for a while, glowing from their previous activities. Once their breathing slowed and the haze lifted, Dan couldn't help but let out a slight laugh.

"What's so funny?" Blair asked, placing one of his hands against her lips to kiss his knuckles.

"You know, a pathway of candles is usually something the guy does to impress the girl – not the other way around."

"Who said it was a path?" Blair countered, a smirk playing on her lips, "These are my favorite lavender candles. I had to get rid of that awful Brooklyn smell."

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><p>As always, suggestions for future letters are welcomed &amp; wanted!<p> 


	3. Cedric

_Disclaimer:_ Own nothing.

**Author's Note:** The beautiful Holiday Monster got me so my apologies for not posting this chapter as quickly as the last two. Hopefully now that things have settled down I will be much quicker to update my stories. I try to thank everyone review personal, but I want to send out a mass **THANK YOU** to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and/or alerted to this story. Also, I am backed up(due to the holidays) on getting my PMs answered, but I promise I will get to those tonight. I'm so sorry for taking so long!

Of course, this chapter is about CPKs. The suggestion for it was made by so many and I had to respond.

Annnnd, I know some of you may not like this but this chapter isn't M - there was just too much going on to add that in as well. Sorry, but I hope you still enjoy it!

As always; **HUGE** thank you to ivorykeys09 for beta-ing this chapter AND for getting this dang thing off the ground. She's seriously the reason this chapter doesn't suck completely. Thank you!

Follow me on Tumblr! (**.com**)

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><p><strong>Cedric<strong>

"_Dan has a Cabbage Patch Kid and there is nothing wrong with that, but he has this thing about having him show up at the strangest of times. Yes, I suppose Cedric is one of Dan's redeeming qualities."_

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><p>A kiss on the cheek was innocent. A kiss on the cheek was how most of the Upper East Side greeted one another even if you were pleased to see the one you were greeting. A kiss on the cheek was nothing more than a simple exchange to acknowledge the other's presence. A kiss on the cheek was certainly not something that got tongues wagging. A kiss on the cheek did not evoke jealous emotions to arise.<p>

Unless that kiss on the cheek was from Chuck Bass given to Blair Waldorf.

Then that gesture might as well be a loaded gun to the temple. That sort of gesture got tongues wagging, eyebrows rising, and jealous glares from the masses. The gesture was no longer innocent and it was no longer a simple greeting. No, Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf never had an interaction that was nothing less than complex, manipulative, and sexually driven. The two were like magnets and the attraction usually left a line of causalities in its wake; usually Blair's pride and heart being at the forefront of those causalities.

"Merry Christmas, Blair."

His voice was low and deep, something that had once made her heart race and anticipation course through her. His hand had reached out to touch her bare shoulder as he leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek, lettings his fingers linger longer than usual. He smelled like his typical cologne and aftershave, mixed with the Upper East Side decadence. His attire was nothing less than impeccable; always overdressed for the occasion. His raven hair swept just so and his cheekbones just as defined as ever.

There had been a time when that was enough to allow him to lead her into a backroom and have his way with her, but those days had long since past. Instead, the typical things she would notice within seconds of his appearance weren't important anymore. In fact, Blair couldn't remember the last time Chuck Bass had been considered an important staple in her life. Of course, he would always be a leading character in her past. But her present no longer had anything to do with him and neither did her future.

She simply felt nothing.

There had once been a time when all she felt was excitement, then that turned into hurt, and then hope. But hope has a funny way of disappearing back into hurt after awhile. Hurt was not becoming on Blair and she had spent most of that time being a vindictive bitch, but fortunately that phase disappeared with the rest of her Chuck "feelings" and she was left with nothing but indifference toward him. Of course, it was a shallow indifference; if she spent too much time thinking over all that had happened between them the bad certainly overshadowing the good she would feel angry. But anger did nothing but make her and others she cared about miserable. No, she'd stick to her indifference towards the man who caused her so much torture throughout high school and college.

Blair tilted her head slightly to allow him to kiss her, thinking nothing of it. She waited for him to pull back, looking down at her with those dark, smoldering eyes that once made her knees buckle. She unconsciously began to tap her Cartier engagement ring against the crystal in her hand, smiling at the comfortable weight it presented on her finger. She gave him a pleasant smile and lifted her champagne glass up to his, clinging them together.

"Merry Christmas, Chuck."

There was a moment of silence as if Chuck had expected her to continue their conversation. Like he was searching for some sort of sign from her that he could continue his subtle, but flirtatious actions. No such sign was given and Blair glanced around the room, smiling at some of the other guests until she spotted one she had yet to greet this evening.

"Excuse me," She smiled up at Chuck, reaching to platonically touch his arm before walking past him, "Glad you could make it to our holiday party."

Chuck gave a strong nod, hiding his surprise just as well as normal. He turned to watch her walk toward a couple of women off on the other side of the room as he sipped his champagne. Sure, it had been years since their on-and-off relationship had officially ended, but he had always figured there would be a soft spot in Blair for him or she'd at least have a hateful response to his appearance but it was worse than that. She was completely neutral. She didn't even flinch when he went to kiss her cheek, she didn't even have a sharp intake of breath. She simply greeted him like any other guest.

Unfortunately, Chuck's eyes weren't the only ones to follow Blair as she walked away from her ex-lover and his interpretation of their short encounter was completely off from what it actually was.

Dan had been standing with a group of guys from work when he saw Chuck Bass exit the elevator and immediately have a commanding presence in the room. His stomach sank. Of course Chuck Bass would be invited to this Christmas Party; what was an Upper East Side party without the infamous man-whore character? Dan should have known when he and Blair had signed the contract to this place that he was also signing up for a lifetime of status appearances and New York Times' worthy parties. Normally he didn't argue; she was worth it.

Dan had tried to convince Blair that she didn't have to invite him, but Blair insisted they invite everyone of importance in their social circle. Blair was a Waldorf after all. She wasn't going to commit "social suicide" by not inviting certain people. Dan had grudgingly agreed and simply made a vow to avoid him, but that was a foolish vow because it wasn't Dan he'd be most prone to search out. No, it would be the female occupant of this penthouse.

When he saw Chuck approach Blair he tried to remain fixed in his own conversations, but the interaction was too intriguing and he couldn't pull his eyes away. His stomach churned when saw Chuck reach out a _caress_ Blair's shoulder and then lean down to kiss her cheek. Even when he pulled back Dan thought he was standing far too close and with Blair's back to him he couldn't tell what she was saying. The interaction didn't last very long and Chuck was left standing alone in the entry way, watching Blair, as she went to other party guests.

Damn, and of course Blair had to be wearing a beautiful, structured plum colored cocktail dress that hugged all of her curves. He could practically read Chuck's mind as he finished off his champagne with one strong gulp. He finally removed his eyes from the direction Blair had went and sauntered off into the crowd of other party goers, leaving Dan to glare at the place where he'd once been standing. His fiancée looked amazing and normally he wanted everyone to notice. But when it came to Chuck he wished Blair would wear an oversized curtain every time she came near him.

And the way she suddenly tapped her engagement ring against the flute in her hand. What did that mean? Was she regretting say 'yes' to his proposal only three months earlier? He felt his stomach twist in knots. She was easily the best thing that ever happened to him and the mere thought of her rethinking her decision to marry him was enough to send him into a dark depression. He groaned and took a sharp drink.

Dan tried to shake off the jealousy feeling that was dwelling within him. He knew he was being completely irrational, but there was just something about Blair and Chuck that dug deep with him. Maybe it was because he had seen how drawn they were to one another once upon a time, or the fact that everyone – including him at one point – had expected them to finally be on for good. Either way, Dan was not the jealous type until he came to Chuck Bass. He turned back toward his friends and tried to get back into the conversation, but soon enough he made up a reason to excuse himself into the nearby kitchen.

Blair's smile was immediate when she saw him round the corner. She had just only slipped into the kitchen herself to grab some more champagne and as much as she hated to admit it, she was glad to have a moment of quiet. She adored throwing parties, but sometimes it all became so overwhelming that she needed a moment. The fact that Dan had rounded the corner made the moment of peace that much better. She gave him a shameless one over as he walked toward the counter. He looked so handsome in a Johnny Cash style suit, sans a tie, and the black shirt that he'd left several buttons undone at the top.

"Enjoying yourself?" She asked, nursing her drink.

"Um, yeah," He nodded, sitting his drink down on the island of their large kitchen, "How's Chuck?"

He nearly kicked himself when the question came out. Jealous Dan was rearing his ugly head. Blair watched him for a moment, looking slightly confused at his question. She glanced around as if he was leering from a nearby doorway, but then she looked back at Dan and shrugged.

"Fine, I think," Blair walked toward the island, leaning across from where Dan stood, "Why? Is he acting strange?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Dan's eyes were cold on hers and it became very obvious to Blair what he was getting at.

She gave a small, cynical laugh and shook her head, "You're kidding me, right? You aren't seriously jealous over one little conversation? It wasn't even a _full_ conversation!"

"Blair, don't make it sound like it was just a conversation with any normal guy on the street," Dan was being irrational and he knew it, but jealousy tended to do that to a person, "It's Chuck Bass, we're talking about, he doesn't have casual conversations with Blair Waldorf."

"You might be right," Blair's voice began to get louder as her frustration grew, "But _I_ can have 'just a casual conversation' with Chuck Bass. You are obviously blowing this way out of proportion. You knew he was going to be here…did you expect me to ignore him? That would be pretty rude, don't you think?"

"Considering who it is; no not really," Dan placed his hands on the marble countertop to lean forward, as if they were about to face off, "And what was that about suddenly taking notice of your ring while you're talking to him? Regretting your decision to marry me?"

"My God, Humphrey," Blair threw her hands up in frustration, "It's been almost four years since Chuck and I broke up, _two_ of those years I've been in love with you. Think your jealousy moment is a little late?"

"Well, with your track record of on-and-off I wouldn't know," Dan knew he shouldn't have said it the moment it came out of his mouth and by the defeated and hurt expression on her face he knew he had crossed a line.

"Go to hell," Her eyes were misty as she started to walk away, but turned around to look at Dan one more time, "And just so you know; I wasn't regretting anything, I was thinking just how thankful I am that you could know all of my flaws and still want to marry me."

With that she disappeared to join the holiday masses.

He watched as she walked away, her heels clicking against the tile the only noise he was left with in the kitchen. He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He'd really done it this time. Jealous Dan didn't make an appearance all that often, but when he did he certainly knew how to fuck up a good night. And if there was one thing that made him appear it was a new dose of Chuck Bass in their lives, but Dan couldn't even blame Chuck for this argument. This was entirely his fault and he knew it. He looked toward the darkened doorway for a moment longer.

If there was one thing Dan had learned about Blair over the years it was that her exit from a room told him exactly what he needed to do from that point on. For example, if she stormed out of the room still yelling at him he would do best by just avoiding her for a couple hours while she calmed down. If she made him leave the room he better leave the damn penthouse because all hell was about to break loss. And if she walked out of the room looking the way she did that night he better have a pretty smooth speech prepared when he chased after her.

"God damn it, Chuck," Dan mumbled, finishing his drink and heading back to the party he now wished – more than ever – had never been.

When he entered the room he immediately spotted his fiancée standing with several women, her best friend included, laughing as though nothing had happened. Typical Blair. That woman could put her emotions on a tighter lockdown than the crown jewels. He took in a deep breath and decided it was best to just follow her example. There would be plenty of time to remove his foot from his mouth after the guests left.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for coming," Blair grinned, walking her best friend to the elevator, "I'm positive. I don't need help cleaning up – that's why I have Dan."<p>

Serena leaned and kissed her friend on the cheek before waving one final time. Blair waited until the door was closed to turn and head back into the penthouse. Dan had been waiting for this moment all night, so when Serena finally left, with much coaxing from Nate, he gave a small sigh of relief. He stood in the now empty entryway expecting Blair to turn around and talk to him, yell at him, anything but give him the continued cold shoulder. He welcomed any interaction.

But Blair obviously did not.

She walked past him in the entryway as if he were nothing more than a floor lamp and headed toward the stairwell. She didn't even glance back as she ascended the stairs. Dan watched her until she disappeared and then heard a door slam. He inwardly groaned.

He had really done it this time.

* * *

><p>The knock on the door was quiet, but in her silent surroundings it was hard to miss. Blair looked up from her place in their library and waited for Dan to walk in. She wanted nothing more to get over this argument, but she was hurt and felt like the man she had given her heart to with very little reservation didn't trust her. That was like a punch to the stomach. She had spent the entire party avoiding Dan, but the entire party counting down the seconds until the guests would finally leave. She played a silent game of tug-of-war with herself as to where this night could end up; they could either scream at each other until the revelation came out that Dan truly didn't trust her or it could blow over.<p>

The latter seemed very unlikely. Dan Humphrey and Blair Waldorf were never really the "blow over" type of couple.

She quickly wiped her eyes to make sure the evidence of her emotions was gone and watched the door. She knew Dan, he didn't need to be ushered in, he'd just walk in. But the door didn't open for a while. Instead another knock came from behind the door, but still Blair remained quiet. Finally she saw the doorknob twist and slowly the door began move forward. Blair expected to see her fiancé standing in the doorway, but instead there was only the small tomato-shaped head of an infamous Cabbage Patch Kid poking out from the doorframe.

If Blair hadn't been so confused she might have laughed, but instead she simply watched the yarn covered head and waited for whatever it was Dan had planned.

Nothing happened. Obviously he was waiting for a sign that she was willing to play along. Dan was waiting for her "cease fire" moment, as he so lovingly liked to put it.

She cleared her throat and leaned forward onto Dan's desk, "Cedric."

"Dan is a real ass," Dan's voice came out from behind the wall in a scratchy, high-pitched tone, "But he does love you, you know."

Blair grinned, glad that Dan couldn't see her at the moment, and shook her head, "Is that why he sent a doll to do his apologizing for him?"

"That's cold, Waldorf, real cold," Dan tilted Cedric's head in disgust, "I'm a Cabbage Patch Kid not just some _doll_. But no, he didn't send me to apologize – I'm just he's shield. I recover from a book to the head much quicker than he does."

Blair smirked, "Well tell him I'm unarmed – for now."

She watched as Cedric slowly slid down the doorframe and Dan came out from behind the wall, still looking quite solemn. Dan saw that even though amusement played on her lips, the hurt expression was set in stone in her eyes. There was a moment of silence between them. Dan had played out so many different speeches in his head and they had all ended up with him making excuses for his behavior. There wasn't an excuse for his behavior so he wasn't about to pretend there was and he figured a simple "I'm sorry" wasn't enough. He was just about to open his mouth when Blair's voice stopped him.

"Do you trust me?"

It was the wind was knocked out of him when he heard her question and saw the totally vulnerable expression on her face. To say he felt terrible wouldn't even begin to explain how bad he felt. He had managed to make Blair believe that he didn't trust her and he knew just how unstable that made her feel. He couldn't move quick enough as he stepped forward - letting Cedric fall to the floor - and pulled her close to him.

"With my whole heart," He spoke confidently, looking into her eyes as she searched his for any sign of hesitation, "I was a complete ass and there's no excuse how I acted – or for what I said. It was just so obvious the kind of reaction Chuck wanted to get from you –"

"But he didn't get it," Blair interrupted, "He hasn't gotten that kind of reaction from me since I realized _you_ were the one I wanted. Chuck hasn't even been an afterthought since that day."

Dan's heart began to race at Blair's confession. It wasn't very often that she told him just how much he'd changed things for her, but every time she did it was like he was hearing it for the first time. He wanted to give the grand sort of apologize with an explanation of why he had acted the way he did, but when it came right now to it there was no sound explanation.

"I am sorry, Blair," Dan's voice was soft and he reached up to push a strand of hair away from her face, "I was being childish and well, just ridiculous, but when I think, even foolishly, that there's a chance I could lose you I lose all common sense. You're everything to me. I can't lose you. Plain and simple."

"And you won't," Blair finally wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself flesh against him.

"Good, does that mean you forgive me?"

"Not quite," Blair leaned up to bring her lips to his, "But you have all night to continue to convince me."

"Sounds like an excellent plan," Dan started to deepen the kiss before Blair quickly pulled away from him and reached down to pick up a nearly forgotten Cedric.

"Um, I really think three's a crowd in this situation, Blair," Dan looked slightly amused and confused at her sudden attention to the object.

"Ugh, Humphrey, always such a dirty mind," Blair smirked before turning it into a warm smile as she looked at Cedric, "Well played with pulling Cedric in for reinforcement."

"Gets 'em every time," Dan walked up behind Blair, wrapping his arms around her.

"I miss Francesca," Blair ran her fingers through worn yarn of Cedric's hair, "I still don't think we should have paid those movers for losing our things."

"_One_ thing, Blair, a Cabbage Patch Kid," Dan kissed her bare shoulder, "I'm pretty sure that doesn't merit a free move."

"Well it should merit something," Blair protested.

"Okay, fine, we'll call them after the holidays and complain," Dan caved, "But for now lets put Cedric down so I can continue my apology."

"Hmm," Blair quickly tossed Cedric onto a nearby couch and turned in Dan's arms, "I suppose you do have a lot of apologizing to do."

* * *

><p>The sun woke Blair with its bright glow before she turned in her entanglement of sheets, trying to avoid the inevitable morning that was outside. She reached out to find her fiancé, but instead was met with a lot of extra space. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times to remove the sleepy blur. That was when she saw the familiar small tomato-shaped head of a Cabbage Patch Kid.<p>

"Merry Christmas," Dan's voice was soft as she looked toward the edge of the bed where he sat.

Blair slowly sat up, wrapping the sheet around her naked upper half. Her eyes went back toward the Cabbage Patch Kid that leaned against Dan's pillow. Her hair was brown, pulled into a ponytail with a purple ribbon. She wore a dress to match her bow, but her shoes were yellow to match a familiar headband that sat at her head.

"I had her made last week," Dan leaned closer to Blair as she examined the Cabbage Patch Kid. He reached out to hold up the doll's left arm, "Cedric decided he needed to propose to her so she didn't feel so left out while you're planning."

Her eyes went to the yellow piece of yarn sown over her ring finger and the rhinestone attached to replicate an engagement ring. She couldn't help but laugh as she picked her up, "Cedric moves fast."

"When you know, you know," Dan smiled, "What do you think?"

"She's perfect," Blair grinned, leaning forward to kiss Dan firmly on the lips.

"I'm glad you like her," Dan looked back down at the Cabbage Patch Kid in her arm, "What's her name?"

"Lanie."

Dan grinned at the obvious reference to _The Landlord_, "Get dressed, I made breakfast."

"_You_ made breakfast," Blair raised a curious eyebrow.

"Okay, I bought breakfast," Dan stood up from their bed and started toward the door.

"Good, because Lanie and I really don't want to start off Christmas with burnt toast."

* * *

><p>Never fear the M chapters will make a return next time!<p>

**NOW** it's your turn: Thoughts? Suggestions of D, E, F, G?


	4. Duvet

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did Dan & Blair would be on their honeymoon by now._

**Author's Note: **The feedback for this story and There You'll Be has been incredible! I make sure to thank the individual reviewers personally, but for those of you without accounts or who have favorited, alerted to this story I want to take a moment to say a HUGE thank you! Your ideas and encouraging feedback has been so inspiring. I can't say thank you enough. Thank you!

Special THANK YOU goes to **Elzangel** for this suggestion for letter D! This chapter is for you!  
>Like I promised; M Rating is back on for this chapter! Enjoy!<p>

As always; ivorykeys09 made this chapter ten times better than it originally was. Thank you! Plus, she's an incredibly talented writer - YOU NEED TO CHECK HER OUT(but I'm sure most of you have already)!

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><p><strong>Duvet<strong>

"_Do you know what a duvet is? Yeah, I didn't either. Apparently it's just a _sophisticated_ term for a blanket filled with feathers or down – and don't even get me started on what the hell down is. I guess they're nice, but I don't really get the appeal – or the price point. Well, unless my wife is curled up into its 'feather-y' confines. Then I'd spend my every last dime."_

* * *

><p>How he managed to make it through the crowded city streets of the Upper East Side with three brown paper bags full of orange juice, cherry flavored cough drops, four different fashion magazines, decongestant syrup, green tea with honey infused, tissues, and a box of Little Debbie oatmeal cookies was nothing short of a miracle. But finally he stepped into the foyer and quickly set the bags down on the end table nearby - nearly sending a beloved crystal lamp crashing to the floor. But yet another crisis was averted that day.<p>

The Humphrey household was eerily quiet until the burst of laughter filled the air and swelled his heart. Dan smirked as he headed toward the familiar laughter that was now being followed by a hoarse cough and the blowing of a nose. The sound of symptoms made him stop in his tracks and turn back to grab the items on his wife's "I'm sick and need the whole pharmacy" list.

Once his arms were full again, Dan made his way toward their bedroom and couldn't help but smile at the sight that greeted him. Blair Humphrey was curled up in the middle of their king size bed with the voluminous, white duvet wrapped around her petite frame. Her brunette hair was a dark contrast against their light bedding. He could tell she was still wearing her red silk pajama set underneath and her hair was complete bed head. Around her lay a plethora of items that told her day in bed; several books, a notepad and paper, and her laptop. Off to the side on her end table lay a pile of wadded up tissues and several glasses of water, tea, and juice.

When he walked in, her eyes were glued to the television he had moved in from his den that morning. Normally she hated the idea of having a television in their bedroom, but with the prospect of bed rest in her future she had requested he move it in before leaving for work.

Her eyes instantly went to his and smiled lazily, "Poker is Joker with a 'j' – coincidence?"

"That's joincidence with a 'C'," He laughed, confirming that she had in fact been watching Friends all afternoon while home sick. Dan would have never pinned his wife for a Friends fan until the day he was unpacking her movie collection into their new home and all ten seasons of Friends were packed along side _The Landlord_ and _The Philadelphia Story_. That was the day he learned that she had not only seen every episode, but could name the episode by one quote.

She giggled when he got her reference and reached to grab her half full glass of water. Her voice was raspy and deeper than her usual tone, but water soothed the scratching of her throat. She took a drink and looked up at her husband, "How was your day?"

He was busy setting all of her needed items on her list and nodded, "It was a Friday. Lucinda was more interested in channeling her inner socialite than hosting our team meeting so we were mostly left to our own devices."

"Mm, so no breaking news coming from the _Vanity Fair_ editorial this month?" Blair leaned against her pillows, "Thank you for getting those for me."

"Probably not this month, but Award season is upon us –"

"God I know, did you see the dress selection that Nicole Kidman has to choose from?" Blair interrupted, reaching for the bag of cough drops. "Dior, Alexander McQueen, Marchesa, and even Dolce & Gabbana designed a dress specifically for her. I don't envy the hard choice she's going to have to make. I do envy the diamonds she's going to dripping in, though. Harry Winston is adorning her with all her jewelry. Can you imagine?"

"I see you've been productive on your sick day," Dan smirked, pulling out the oatmeal cookies and sitting them on the coffee table.

"I am a department junior editor for Michael Kors, Humphrey. Fashion doesn't take sick days," Blair wrinkled her nose at the sight of Debbie, "Ugh, I can hardly swallow my cough syrup and you thought snack cakes were a good idea?"

"No, those are mine," he crawled over to sit next to her on the bed, "I figured I'd take advantage of you being sick. If you were well they'd be gone faster than the feather trend."

Blair looked at him with a pitiful glare and sunk deeper into her avalanche of covers, "Go ahead, poke fun of the sick and defenseless."

Her eyes were dark from lack of sleep and her skin was paler than its natural ivory. She hadn't showered in probably two days. Dan had managed to get her to soak in the bathtub for nearly two hours the night before, but she'd hardly had the strength to move into the bubbly water let alone give herself a proper scrub. She'd managed to brush her teeth every morning, but only once Dan had coaxed her to get out of bed to take her medicine.

She was absolutely beautiful and not even being sick didn't dull that.

He smiled, pulling her into his arms as he leaned against the headboard. Her head came to rest atop his shoulder and she instinctively curled up into his warmth. He moved to stretch his feet out on the bed, crossing one ankle over the other.

"I know you were raised in Brooklyn, but we don't wear our shoes in bed," Blair commented, her voice only cracking once. "You'd think after five years of marriage I would have rubbed off on you."

"Sick maybe, but definitely not defenseless," Dan laughed, kicking his shoes off to hit the hardwood below.

"My temp broke today," Blair ignored his comment completely. "I should be able to go back to work Monday."

"We'll see about that," Dan's eyes were on the _Friends_' episode Blair had muted when he walked into their room, "Although I don't know if I could handle another battle like the one we had on Thursday morning."

Blair groaned at the memory, burying her head into his crisp grey shirt. It certainly wasn't her proudest moment. The heat rose in her cheeks and she felt the rumble of his chest as he laughed at her past antics.

"Could you imagine walking into Michael Kors with a Marc Jacobs' shoe on one foot and a Jimmy Choo on the other?" Dan's laughter grew, "For someone who is sick you managed to put up one hell of a fight. I thought _I_ was going to be late for work."

"Very funny," Blair mumbled.

"Oh come on," Dan looked down at his wife with a smile, "It's just another antic I can tell our grandchildren one day."

He easily scooped her closer; bringing her face up, he plant numerous kisses across her cheeks and nose before landing a more passionate kiss on her lips. Blair's giggles immediately subsided when his lips found hers and she used the majority of her energy to wrap her arms around his neck to pull him flesh against her. His thoughts became hazy as she rearranged their bodies until she was basically sitting on his lap.

This was certainly a perk of her getting better; their sex life could resume to its earth shattering and frequent standard.

The moment was getting heated as his hands found the hem of her pajama shirt and began to work their way up her soft, warm skin. Her fingered entangled themselves in the curls at the nap of his neck and she turned herself to be straddling his lap comfortably. Their tongues were battling for dominance when she suddenly pulled away from him and the frustrated groan he let out unconsciously made her laugh out loud. The confused look on his face was almost pitiful and she couldn't help but lean in again to give a quick kiss to his frown.

"As much as I think I feel better," Blair looked down at her husband, "I don't want to get you sick. You're probably already infected and I'm already weak – I highly doubt such _strenuous_ activities are good for me."

Dan's expression mimicked a puppy that had just been scolded. He continued to lock his wife in place atop his lap. Normally Blair was putty in Dan's hands, whether he realized it or no; when he got that look on his face it was almost too hard to resist. She gave out another laugh and a quick kiss when the look remained on his face.

"Think about it, Humphrey," Blair began her reasonable speech, "If you get sick or I exert myself too soon then that means another – what? Possibly a week? Another week of no sex. A _whole_ week. That is just unacceptable."

The look on Dan's face went from one of defeat to one of a man with a brilliant idea. Without saying a word, he easily maneuvered their position so that she was now laying atop her blankets with him hovering over her. As much as Blair knew she was right, she secretly hoped he wouldn't heed her warning and continue with his original plan. His eyes were darker than their typical brown and his expression was full of passion and love; the kind of look that made Blair weak in knees even after years with this amazing man.

She wanted to throw in her own white flag and just pull him into a deep kiss. But it was obvious he had other plans - beginning with the kisses he trailed from her jaw line to her exposed neck. Once his lips reached the sensitive spot on her collarbone, Blair applauded herself for leaving half of her pajama shirt unbuttoned. Not only was it not constricting, but it allowed ample space for her husband to ravish her.

Blair didn't bother to speak until she felt his hands come up to undo the two buttons that held her silk shirt together, and even then her mind was clouded by his course hands against the sensitive flesh of her stomach. "Daniel Humphrey, were not listening to me?"

"Hm?" Dan didn't even bother to look up and just continued to kiss down her now completely exposed chest, "Oh yes, I heard you, but I'm not completely convinced that you think this is a terrible idea."

"I – I – oh, God," She tried to argue until his mouth covered one of her hardened nipples and her head tilted back in pleasure. One of her hands gripped the blanket beneath her while the other lay atop Dan's head as if begging him to stay there for all eternity.

After some time, Dan began to kiss a path toward the other beautiful breast to make sure they were both worshipped equally. After he had finished easily bringing Blair close to a delusional state with his talented tongue, he started to kiss a line down the smooth surface of her stomach. He stopped to dip his tongue into her bellybutton for a split second, causing Blair's back to arch off their bed.

He lifted his lips a millimeter from her skin so that he could speak, "Of course," He paused to drop another kiss on warm flesh just above the elastic of her pajama pants, "I have a superb immune system, but you're right, I don't want to over exert you too soon. That is why I have much more _relaxing_ plans for you."

If Blair hadn't been so hazed from his pervious actions, she might have protested with he undid the tie of her pants and stood to start pulling them down, along with her underwear. She certainly didn't feel beautiful after being sick, but she wasn't about to object at this point - her husband always had a way of making her feel as if she were the most beautiful woman on the planet. She could feel the pull of anticipation in her stomach as her bottoms were dropped on the floor. Dan took this time to remove his own shirt, leaving him in nothing but his black dress pants. If she was anticipating his actions before she was near desperation at this point.

God, her husband was beyond sexy. His taunt muscles flexed as he leaned down over her once again to kiss her properly. She immediately opened her mouth to allow his tongue to meet hers and her small hands gripped his defined biceps. She became dizzy at the sensation of his bare chest against hers as he kissed her properly. As the kiss deepened she moved her hands between them so that she could start to undo the belt of his pants, but he stopped her by grabbing her hand and pulling away.

"Waldorf, I told you not to over exert yourself," Dan's eyes were dark and playful, "Just sit back and relax, deal?"

"I make no promises," She smirked.

Dan didn't respond, but pushed himself off her to stand in front of their bed. He paused to enjoy the beautiful view of his completely uncovered and naked wife lying with only her undone pajama top on. Her dark hair fanned around the duvet and her once sickly pale skin was now rosy with a passionate blush. Her eyes, although still dark, were now full of desire and confidence. He only broke from admiring her beautiful form when Blair cleared her throat in an expecting manner and raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"You are absolute perfection," He confessed, reaching out to gently grab behind each of her knees and pull her toward the end of the bed.

It was then that Blair realized exactly what he had planned and she nearly exploded with anticipation. He leaned down to place open, wet kisses down her stomach and moving over her most sensitive area to kiss her inner thighs, nipping several times. Her mind was on overdrive and she was about to beg him when she felt his tongue against her in just the perfect place. Her cry echoed in their quiet home and her back arched off the bed for what seemed like the hundredth time since he started his wonderful torture.

Dan laid a hand atop her hips to keep her still beneath his wonderful tongue. Her once chilled body now had a thin layer of sweat building up. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head when he hit a particularly perfect rhythm with his tongue, and her words of praise were mixed with enjoyable moans as he continued his pace. She wanted to beg him to go faster - to do anything that would allow her to reach her glorious release - but she wanted the sensations to last as long as possible.

Blair wasn't sure if it was because she had been so ready from the teasing, the fact that she was sick, or the fact that she felt like it had been an a lifetime (less than a week) since she had made love to her husband…but she knew she wouldn't last too long. She began to feel the familiar twisting low in her stomach. She was about to go over the edge when suddenly he slowed his rhythm just enough to torture her, but not to move her closer to her undoing.

"Dan, please," She moaned, all sort of stubbornness leaving her. She was completely abandoned of all pretenses beneath him, "God, I - I'm so close."

Although his wife's words and tone were enough to send him over the edge without a single touch he just smirked against her. His motions never quickened, but he wasn't going to leave her too much longer. He moved his hand to insert two fingers into her soaking entrance and her response was immediate. She cried out his name and tightened her thighs around his shoulders. One of her hands came down to the hand that rested on her hips. He laced their fingers together, knowing his wife loved to feel completely connected to him during moments like these.

His tongue and fingers worked in sync with one another and ever so slowly she neared her climax. Even though she wished it would wash over her quickly she knew from experience the longer he drew it out the better it was. With one last curl of his fingers and flick of his tongue at the right moment, Blair completely lost it. Her climax rushed in quickly, but lingered in waves as he began to slow his motions. Dan made sure not to completely stop until she came down from her high.

Blair hadn't realized she'd been clenching her eyes shut until she calmed down from her orgasm and slowly opened her eyes, the sudden light making her squint. Her chest was heaving as Dan slowly began to kiss back up her stomach, taking special care of her most sensitive areas before finally landing back on her lips. Blair welcomed the deep kiss, finding the strength to pull him flesh against her.

She had always thought tasting herself on her lover's lips was a disgusting and classless act. But with Dan there was nothing that made her feel sexier or more of a woman and she relished in the aftermath with her husband.

After several moments of kissing his wife senseless, Dan rolled over to lay next to her. He reached out to pull the blankets over her knowing that the chill would soon be back on. She peered up at him through her haze and looked slightly confused. He knew the expression and laughed, "I told you not to over exert yourself."

"Lets just say I owe you one," Blair countered, curling up to him.

"I think that's an excellent way to start a weekend," Dan smiled, ignoring her comment, "But it's only six o'clock. Now what?"

"Well, I'm in the middle of Season One of Friends," Blair shrugged. Reaching past him, she let out a moan when her bare chest rubbed against his, "We can watch _Friends_ and you can eat oatmeal cookies until round two."

"Round two?" Dan raised an eyebrow.

"I really think this cold is about to pass," Blair smirked, hitting the volume so that the voice of Chandler and the gang now filled the air.

"Should have tried that home remedy sooner."

* * *

><p>The sun had long since come up when Blair finally decided it was time to untangle herself from her husband and move about the day. She sat on the edge of the bed, finding his grey shirt from the night before and tossing it around her petite frame. She haphazardly buttoned several of the buttons and turned to look at her sleeping husband.<p>

He looked so peaceful in his sleep and with the blankets barely coming high enough to cover his naked bottom half he looked like a sex god. Blair felt the familiar heat rising in her stomach as she stood up and headed toward the kitchen. Her cold seemed to be almost gone and her throat no longer felt scorched every time she tried to swallow. It was probably the medication, but with a smirk she told herself it was from their activities the night before.

She walked around the island in their kitchen and reached to put a pot of water on the stove for tea. Just because she was feeling better didn't mean she wasn't going to use her remedies; she wasn't about to get sick again. As she waited for the pot of water to boil she leaned against the counter and scanned over one of the magazines Dan had picked up for her. She was in the middle of reading an article on the history of argyle when she heard the footsteps of her husband heading down the hall.

Blair's eyes were bright with the anticipation of seeing him until he actually walked into the kitchen. He wore nothing but black boxers and his curls were going every which way. All of those things Blair was used to seeing in the morning, but the look on his face and his paler complexion was a sign of the very thing that had put her out of commission the week prior.

"Oh no," Blair groaned when she heard her husband's deep cough. She immediately reached for another mug to make him a cup of tea as well, "See, I told you. I may not have been over exerted _much_ last night, but I definitely got you sick."

Dan gave a puny smile as he walked toward his wife, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, "Well worth it."

Blair gave a sweet smile, but it broke her heart that he was sick. His voice cracked deeper than usual and she reached up to check his temperature. He was burning up and she knew how the remainder of their weekend was going to be spent.

"Alright, back to bed, Humphrey," Blair started to push him back toward the doorway, "I'll be there in a minute with medicine, tea, and reinforcements."

Dan was almost to the doorway when he turned around with the best devious look he can muster, "Remember you owe me - apparently it's quite the home remedy."

Before she could say anything, Dan moved back toward the bedroom and Blair began to gather up the tissues, tea, medicine, and magazines. She was about to leave the kitchen when she saw the box of half eaten oatmeal cookies. She couldn't resist and grabbed one before heading toward their bedroom.

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><p><strong>NOW<strong> it's your turn! I've gotten some pretty great ideas (and I already know what I'm doing for E)  
>but I'm always inspired by all your suggestions!<br>So thoughts on F, G, H, and I?


	5. Elevator

_Disclaimer: I own notta._

**Author's Note:** Well, my goodness it's been awhile! I apologize, work just got extremely hectic for awhile. I promise most of my updates will come a lot quicker than this one did! I want to thank everyone who's favorited(only on FF is that an verb), alerted, and reviewed this story! I've tried to respond to most privately, but for those who don't have accounts or didn't hear from me(I'm sorry!): **THANK YOU!**

_HUGE HUGE HUGE_ Thank You to **ivorykeys09** for beta-ing AND suggesting this word. She was on double-duty this chapter :) And my loves over on Tumblr - you make my Dair heart skip a beat. Couldn't do any of my writing without you guys!

There is some things you must know before reading this chapter: 1. I could have easily gone M, but I hate making my babies go OOC so I decided not to. 2. I almost re-wrote this entire chapter after seeing the 5x18 promo, but decided that would be a stand-alone down the road. 3. This talks place sometime during their internship in Season Four. Everything up until that point happened - just no Louis.

Now that I've bored you to tears - Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Elevator<strong>

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><p>"<em>I've always been one to like my space. I really don't need strangers - especially poorly groomed strangers - invading my Chanel No. 5 'personal bubble'. That, of course, means elevators are some of my most detested places. Fortunately, I don't make a habit of climbing into just <em>any_ elevator in _any_ building. Apparently, Humphrey's mission in life must be to prove every assumption I have wrong – and he's done a fairly decent job thus far."_

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><p>Blair Waldorf never ran late. Running late was a luxury that the less important and far less noticeable had the privilege of using, but since she was far from either of those, she made it a point to set three separate alarms.<p>

The first was set an hour before she actually had wake up; Blair liked to think of it as her "you have one last hour – make it count" alarm. The second alarm was set fifteen minutes before she needed to wake up; she liked to think of it as her "fifteen minutes – there is no sense going back to sleep, so start making your to-do list while you have the time" alarm. Then the third and final alarm, unlike the first two, was actually set on an actual alarm clock and not her phone. The clock was set on the vanity so she had to actually get out of bed to shut it off. It had the worst sound of all - two large bells made sure it woke her and the majority of the Upper East Side up. Blair liked to think of to as her "get the hell out bed and start picking out your outfit" alarm.

It was a system that never failed. A system that she had used since her time at Constance. A system that proved just how much of an overachiever she was. Over the years Blair found herself boasting about the setup. It was obviously something that set her apart from the crowds in high school, the masses in college, and now the select few at _W_ Magazine. This system was her safety blanket. This system was fail proof.

Until today.

Today Yves Saint Laurent wearing, Jimmy Choo stomping, and Chanel smelling Blair Waldorf was pushing her way through the morning rush to get in the doors of the large, familiar building of W Magazine. She had practically begged her driver to ramp curves and run over several pedestrians in hopes she would make it there with at least a moment to breath. Unfortunately, no begging in the entire world could have helped the severe traffic they'd encountered. Blair had even been so desperate as to almost suggest she walk the rest of the way, but decided she might as well look put together instead of windblown if she was going to march in late.

In hindsight, she was probably overreacting. The majority of the interns and even several of the regular staff walked in after Blair. But that wasn't the point. She had something to prove and she wasn't about to be grouped with the irrelevant masses. No, she was born to stand out in a crowd and she expected to do so in every way possible. Plus, beating Dan Humphrey into the office had become a small victory in itself.

Blair would never admit, but he was actually good at his job. Sure, she had learned early on that he was intuitive and intelligent, but the fact that he could actually complete with her standard of work was beyond annoying. She had expected him to do his fair share of sucking up (he was good at that) but would soon melt into the standard while she continually came out on top. That day had yet to come and his brown nosing had slowed substantially. Once he realized he didn't need it to make himself known he stopped wasting his time.

Sure, her bitterness toward his lack of revealing where his internship would be had worn off. After all, she hadn't disclosed those details to him either. She would even go far to say that there were days she actually _enjoyed_ him being a part of her internship experience. He made her work load a tad easier, the conversations were always enthralling, and the banter kept her on her toes. She ignored the fact that sometimes her eyes lingered in his direction for a moment too long. And that she didn't feel like her morning had actually started until he came over, leaned himself against her desk, and discussed the film or book he had just found in some no-named second hand shop in Brooklyn.

Dan Humphrey had become Blair Waldorf's escape from all the pressure in her life. And he knew nothing of it.

But all that aside: he was still competition. He was the steepest of competition and Blair _always_ came out on top.

Today she was most definitely not going to beat her friendly rival into the office, but that didn't slow her pace as she made it across the main floor lobby. Flashing her I.D. at the familiar security guard, she reached the elevator and was slightly relieved to find herself standing alone. She was already at her wits' end and she wasn't sure she could bear standing in a crowded elevator for the sixteen-floor ride.

She pushed the "up" button several times and glanced up anxiously while she waited for the door to open. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the elevator to the far left opened and Blair practically ran toward the empty compartment. She quickly hit the button to floor sixteen and took in a calming breath.

The doors were almost closed when suddenly an arm slipped in between and Blair practically jumped at the sudden appearance of another entity. She blinked several times, allowing the shock to wear off. Her words seemed to be stuck in her throat as the new occupant of the elevator walked the short distance to the back corner. The man only looked at her once he had settled calmly against the edge.

"Good morning, Waldorf." Dan Humphrey said, holding out one of the disposable coffee cups in his hand, "Figured you'd need a little pick me up."

The expression on her face could probably melt Hell, but his quirky smirk never faltered as he continued to hold out his offering. She gave him a one over, probably looking more judgmental than observational, but she was really just taking in his appearance. She had never been one to find his attire at all appealing let alone suitable for a given occasion. Today he wore a pair of fitted dark jeans, his usual petticoat, and those obnoxiously pointed leather shoes. She assumed his top was some sort of sports jacket or male cardigan. Typical. Dan Humphrey was typical.

Or at least that's what Blair told herself. She told herself that when Dan would skip lunch and she'd be left alone in the break room. She told herself that when she saw one of the other interns standing too close during a casual conversation with him. She told herself that when he'd make a witty comment during their morning staff meetings and she could literally hear the other interns' panties drop. She told herself that when she'd find herself dialing his number at night as she settled in to watch another classic.

Blair Waldorf spent a lot of her time telling herself just how typical Dan Humphrey was and even more time convincing herself she didn't need typical. She needed extraordinary.

"Late night last night?" Dan asked, breaking her rapid train of thought.

He still held the coffee out for her to take and finally, coming out of her daydreams, she reached out and took the warm cup. She immediately pressed it to her lips and tasted the familiar sweetened and creamy concoction. She rolled her eyes; it was so _typical_ of Dan Humphrey to know just exactly how she took her coffee.

"No later than yours," Blair commented, feeling the small drop in her stomach, as the elevator started moving.

"I just figured with House on Haunted Hill being so – not up your alley," Dan smirked, taking a drink of his own cup, "You'd have a bit some trouble falling asleep."

"Don't flatter yourself, Humphrey," Blair said, leaning against the other side of the elevator, "Vincent Price stopped scaring me after House of Wax."

"Whatever you say," Dan shrugged, "So your sudden gasps during the movie were just because I have that kind of affect on you? Good to know."

Blair could feel the heat in her cheeks rising and she inwardly cursed herself for allowing Dan Humphrey of all people to turn her into this sort of crushing schoolgirl. She kept her cool exterior and opened her mouth to come back at his comment, but the sudden jerk of the elevator made her yelp instead.

"What was that?" Blair asked, her nerves breaking through her calm voice, "We're only on the seventh floor – we shouldn't be stopping. The door isn't opening. Is no one getting on? Why aren't we moving? We're going to be late. We're already late."

"Blair, take a breath," Dan pushed himself off the rail and walked closer to her, reaching out to push the "Open Door" button.

Blair took a sharp intake of breath and realized how close he was to her when his cologne and black coffee filled her senses. Idly, she found herself thinking it was a smell she could easily get used to. Her eyes closed momentarily before opening them to realize the door wasn't opening on his command. Her heart rate spiked at the sudden feeling of being trapped.

"Why isn't it opening?" Blair's voice cracked and she pushed Dan's hand aside, trying her own hand at pushing the button. Like it would suddenly make the elevator realize that someone important was aboard and it would immediately open.

Nothing of the sort happened.

"It's stuck." Dan stepped back and looked up at the row of numbers above the door. "We must be stuck between the seventh and eighth floor."

"Well thank you for that brilliant insight," Blair glared, "And how does that help our situation?"

"The same way your edgy sarcasm does," Dan looked back at her.

Blair rolled her eyes and looked around the controls, finding the door for the emergency phone. She quickly picked it up and waited impatiently for someone to pick up on the other side.

"Hello?" Blair nearly yelled, "Yes, hi, my name is Blair Waldorf and I am stuck in your elevator. Which one? I don't know – the one that's not moving! Now I'm going to be late for my internship. This is a very important internship with W Magazine, not that I expect you to – hey!"

She quickly protested as Dan took the phone from her hand and decided it would be best for him to continue this conversation. Ignoring her complaining, he placed it to his ear, "Hi. Yes, we're stuck in the elevator on the far left if you're facing the elevators. It looks like we're between floors seven and eight. Okay, do you know how long it will take? Sure, yeah we're not going anywhere. Thanks."

Dan hung up the phone and looked back at Blair with an annoyed expression. She just crossed her arms and shook her head, "Well, did they say how long?"

"They're getting their maintenance team to look at it. He'll update us as soon as they know something." Dan walked back over to the other side of the elevator and leaned against the wall.

Blair shook her head, pulling out her cell phone to call the magazine and inform them why they'd be late. She couldn't stop the frustrated groan that escaped her lips at the lack of bars in the corner of her screen.

"Great," Blair stomped her shoe childishly, "No service. Do you have service?"

"The elevators are a dead zone," Dan commented lazily, "Everyone knows that."

"Apparently not everyone," Blair bit back.

"Apparently."

Silence fell over them. Blair crossed her arms over her chest, tempted to tap her toe in impatience, but in the quiet atmosphere it would certainly annoy both her and Dan. So instead she tapped her fingers in a wave formation against her coat sleeve.

At first her mind drifted toward all of the things she needed to get done. If she had just been on time, or early, she wouldn't be dealing with this problem. Then she found her eyes glancing toward Dan, slightly thankful it was him she was stuck with. A stranger would no doubt try to make petty, unneeded small talk, and being by herself would probably have her nerves completely fried. At least with him there he would keep her calm and centered.

He did that a lot for her. More than she was willing to admit.

When the phone rang almost fifteen minutes late Blair jumped, gripping her chest in surprise. Dan pushed himself off the rail once again and went toward the phone that was closer to Blair, but she was obviously too surprised to move toward it.

"Hello," Dan answered, his voice always so smooth and calm, "Um, yeah I guess we have to be. Sure, okay, thanks. Oh – hey, can you do us a favor? My name is Dan Humphrey and I'm with Blair Waldorf. We're both interns at W Magazine. Can you tell them we're stuck and we'll be there as soon as we're um – unstuck? Great, thanks."

Blair knew he did that for her. She didn't have to ask and she didn't even have to hint that she wanted him to. He just did it. Blair couldn't help but genuinely smile at him when he hung up the phone.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Dan smiled at her.

Their eyes connected for longer than necessary and Blair felt her heart rate spike again for the second time that day. Blair would never admit it aloud, but the temperature between them had been steadily growing since winter break. She first realized it when her arm accidently grazed his at the cinema and her breath caught in her throat. It had been a harmless graze, but the sensation of her bare arm against his was enough to send her back into a hormone raging teenager. Then there had been the constant need she felt after that to reach out in touch him or have him sit as close to her as possible.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be! She wasn't supposed to fall for someone from Brooklyn, _especially_ Dan Humphrey. She had tried to convince herself that this was nothing but a mere crush; sexual deprivation made a person do crazy things, but that was a poor excuse. Especially since she knew that all she had to do was show interest and Chuck would have her in a moment. But she didn't want Chuck. She'd rather have built up sexual frustration and late night debates with Dan than guaranteed sexual rendezvous with Chuck.

Blair Waldorf of today would make the Blair Waldorf of Constance die a thousand deaths, but the Blair of today was far happier than that Blair could ever imagine.

"How long?" Blair finally broke the intense silence between them.

"At least an hour or so," Dan admitted, almost nervous to see the kind of reaction this news would bring.

Blair was exhausted. Blair was stressed. Blair needed a break. Maybe this was the world's way of giving it to her. Inside this seven by seven elevator there wasn't much she could do, and for that fact she was almost grateful. She took in a deep breath and brought her coffee cup up to her lips, but stopped suddenly.

"I suppose that means I should stop drinking this coffee," Blair smiled.

Dan laughed, "Yeah, I guess that's not a bad idea."

Dan grabbed the strap of his messenger bag and removed it from his shoulder. Blair watched as he dropped it to the ground and took a seat on the floor next to it. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of how dirty these floors were and how there was no doubt plenty of spilled coffee, crumbs, and God only knew what else residing beneath her feet. Dan didn't miss her disgusted facial expression and couldn't help that even it melted his heart.

"So you're going to stand the whole time?" Dan let his legs go straight out in front of him as he looked up at Blair from his spot in the corner.

"This is a Marc Jacobs' coat – straight off the runway - and under that is a Yves Saint Laurent dress," Blair argued. "I am not about tarnish it with leftover lunches, cheap coffee, or _other_ unknown substances."

Dan shook his head, but dropped the subject. They fell into another comfortable silence as Dan pulled a book out of his bag and Blair went to scribbling something down in her leather bound calendar. Dan felt his eyes straying from the written word to the long legs standing barely three feet away, but he didn't let them stray long. The last thing he needed was her accusing him of being some sort of pervert. He let his eyes trail up to where she was gently nibbling on the top of her pen, oblivious to the fact that she now had an audience.

She was beautiful. Not just in her general looks, although those alone would stop traffic, but in her demeanor. Sure, she could be harsh and cold to strangers, but as Dan began to get to know Blair he realized just how much of an act that really was. How compassionate she was to those she cared about and how passionate she was about life in general. It was moments like this, or like the ones at his Brooklyn loft, that he preferred; the moments when she felt comfortable enough to be her genuine self; no games, no protection mechanisms, no attitude. Simply Blair.

He was pulled away from his thoughts, and the sentence he had now read over thirteen times, when he heard the soft clicking of her heels. At first he thought it was her annoyed, anxious habit of tapping her toe, but when he looked up he saw she was slightly swaying from one foot to another. When he glanced down at her shoes he immediately knew why.

"Those shoes look comfortable," Dan commented with a smirk.

"They're meant to look at or for walking short distances," Blair bit down on her lip in pain, "Not impromptu stand-ins."

Dan rolled his eyes. He wasn't about to allow her to stand the rest of them time in pain. They still probably had at least a good hour still, if not longer, and if she was already in pain now, her feet would probably swell and burst before they moved again. He sat his book down on the floor next to him and leaned forward, beginning to undo the buttons of his coat. It wasn't long before the coat was off and beside him in a cushion-like formation.

"There, now sit," Dan pointed at his coat on the ground.

Blair knew her eyes went wide as she stared at him. It was a small gesture, but to her it meant so much more. She was from wealth. She had dated wealth her entire life. She knew what it was like to receive lavish gifts or grand gestures, but small sentimental things were a near never in her life. It had been Nate's style when he thought that's what she wanted and Chuck had even done it on occasion when he wanted to get what he wanted, but never just because.

Dan expected a sarcastic comment about his choice of coat or lack of style, but instead she remained quiet. She looked at him for quite sometime before setting her bag on the floor to remove her own coat, which she tossed across her bag, and then moved to take a seat next to him.

"Thanks, Humphrey," She smiled at him. "If they're not hurting they're not helping, right?"

Dan laughed and watched as Blair moved to remove the abusive footwear. She leaned over toward him as she did so and his breath hitched. She smelled like jasmine and lavender. He had been close enough before to catch her scent numerous times, but every time made his heart skip. He watched her little toes stretch beneath her sheer black tights and couldn't help but smile. For some reason he felt like he was experience a moment in Blair's lifestyle that very few got to see, but that she did quite often.

"You don't need the help, Blair. I'm sure you'd look great in bunny slippers," Dan commented, almost immediately regretting the words coming out of his mouth.

He had fought so hard to keep his feelings neutral toward her. He knew it would end in nothing but heartache for him, but there he was falling more and more for her with every wrinkle of her nose or twitch of her toes. He didn't meet Blair's eyes, but he could tell she was looking at him. Instead he just tilted his head back to lean against the elevator wall.

Blair's eyes were on his for quite some time. She hoped he would look at her, but he never did. She curled her legs up under her, sitting with knees facing toward him. She wondered how they had gotten to this point. Not the elevator per se, but their relationship. For the longest time Dan had simply been an addition to Serena. He wasn't his own person even, or at least not in Blair's mind. She had been an addition to Serena to him. They didn't have a connection if Serena wasn't in the picture, but yet here they were. Having long, meaningful conversations. Going to get coffee on Sunday mornings to discuss literature. Eating pizza in the loft and discussing absolutely nothing of importance. Serena hardly came up in conversation if only in passing.

"Have you talked to Serena much?" She asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer. She knew his feelings for her were still there, or at least she thought they were, but she wasn't sure she could stand it being verbalized by him.

"Serena?" Dan looked back at Blair, glad the subject was changed easily, "Not really. Why?"

Blair shrugged, "Just wondering. I know she was torn between you and – well, I know things were looking like they'd start over for you two not too long ago."

Dan shook his head, "Story of our existence, but no. I think it's time I realize that ship needs to sail on without me. It only leads to heartbreak down the line."

She wanted to stand up right there in the elevator and do a happy dance. She loved Serena, but Dan deserved better than the way she treated him. Serena was excellent and Dan was wonderful, but together they were a disaster. Blair hated watching Dan try to make it work while Serena refused to see just how crazy about her he was.

Dan waited for her to say something, but when she didn't, he cleared his throat. "How are you and Chuck?"

Blair gave a dry laugh, "I kissed that ship goodbye a long time ago. Sometimes you just need to know when to say 'when.'"

"Good for you," Dan smiled, actually believing her when she said it.

She nodded weakly, looking down at her hands as they idly played with a ruffle on her dress. It had been so obvious to her after spending the summer overseas. Chuck certainly wasn't the one she wanted. Of course, at the time she didn't actually think Dan would be the one she wanted, but the universe was obviously out to kick all of Blair's expectations to the curb.

"You've always deserved better than Chuck," Dan broke the silence, finally looking at her, "Even at Constance when you were a complete bitch you deserved better."

Blair couldn't help but laugh at his blunt honesty. She wasn't about to argue either. If anyone deserved not to be murdered for calling her a bitch it was the Humphrey family. She looked over at him as she laughed, her own head landing against the wall behind her.

"It's not like you were a peach either, Humphrey," Blair countered, "You fit right in with scheming back then."

"It was eat or be eaten. Not my proudest moments."

"Mine either."

"We wasted so much time in high school, you know that? We could have been debating writers and critiquing classics years ago." Dan swallowed, "I think I would have enjoyed high school a lot more if that's how it had been."

Blair's heart was nearly beating out of her chest as Dan spoke those words. Could they actually be thinking – _feeling_ - the same way? She had kept her eyes on the door until he said that last sentence. She couldn't help the way her eyes drifted back to his.

When their eyes connected, Dan swore he heard Blair gasp quietly. The silence between them was deafening and he was pleading her to say something, but she didn't speak. He was about to open his mouth to say something else, lighten the obvious intense mood in the small space, but before he could her lips were on his.

It only took Dan a split second to get over his shock and kiss her back with all the passion he could muster. He easily slid closer and let his hand come to the back her neck, almost in fear that she would pull away once she realized she was actually kissing Dan Humphrey.

That realization never came and the kiss deepened.

Blair clung to him and felt herself falling into some sort of dazed spell. It was the most compelling kiss she had ever experienced. Her hand reached out to grab the material of his shirt, as if in some way to pull him closer still. Their tongues wrestled for dominance and Blair let out a breathy moan when she felt his free hand tangle itself in her hair. Blair Waldorf wanted nothing more than to melt into Dan Humphrey and allow this moment to last forever.

And then the elevator moved.

They broke their kiss, only from the shock of suddenly moving, and quickly came to their senses. Neither Dan nor Blair wanted to speak first. Both of them almost wanted to leave the moment alone, not to ruin it with excuses for their actions. For the first time they felt like they were doing exactly what they wanted and were exactly where they needed to be.

Dan was the first to stand, offering his hand to Blair, before they both began gathering their things. Blair quickly slipped on her shoes and tossed her hair, knowing it probably looked the way she felt: completely undone. The remaining eight floors went by in busied silence between the two. Blair almost attempted to say something, but stopped herself by popping a mint into her mouth. Dan did the same, but faked a cough instead.

When the door opened they both stepped out, with Blair heading to the right while Dan headed to the left. They had already lost several hours to their day and just needed to jump right into their given tasks. Her heart sank as she stepped out of the elevator. It was like she was stepping back into reality and this new reality might have to be without Dan. What if she had completely ruined their friendship?

She started to turn down the hall when she felt something, or someone, grab her wrist gently to stop her. She turned back to face Dan, who didn't drop her wrist once she had turned. Instead he pulled her closer and leaned in to place the gentlest, yet most romantic, kiss on her cheek.

"Tonight I'm taking you to dinner," Dan moved to kiss her other cheek, "And then we're going back to my place to watch Funny Face."

"It's a date?" Blair asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"It's a date," Dan sealed the confession with a chaste kiss to her already swollen lips.

And that was the day Blair Waldorf began to waiver on her stance against elevators.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> As always, I want to hear your thoughts! And never fear, M is making a return in the very near future!

Oh! And suggestions! Because lets face it; without them these stories would not exist! I have F, R, T, & V decided but all other letters are fair game!


	6. Fragrance

_Disclaimer: Own nothing. Thank God._

**Author's Note:** WOW! This had taken me so long to update! I apologize for that, but I have had a serious case of writer's block. I think I'm back on track - hopefully I can update There You'll Be sometime soon as well. And I have to admit, writing Dair is a bit depressing after watching that terrible season finale, but I will carry on! This chapter is M at the end and AU after like episode 5x18 basically.

Thanks always for the great reviews and a HUGE thank you to Ivory for being an epically quick and amazing beta!

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Fragrance<strong>

"_Humphrey may not always know how to properly groom himself, but he has always had quite the knack for smelling good."_

The first time Blair Waldorf caught the scent of Daniel Humphrey's cologne was on the steps of the Met. That was early into the time that Dan had been thrust, unwelcome, into Blair's life. He'd practically been Serena's lap dog that entire time. It was getting old. Blair thought her best friend had better taste than to diddle with the scholarship case for more than a week. The brunette had voiced her arguments loudly for the first twenty-four hours, but then decided it was best to let her blonde friend get whatever it was she was doing out of her system. But then it week turned into another, which turned into a month. A month? Serena didn't keep lipglosses that long, what could this boy possibly possess that was better than a Chanel lipgloss?

Blair certainly didn't see a single thing.

Serena, herself, and their minions had just sat down to lunch when the goofy, unworthy, flannel wearing lovesick boy showed up next her best friend. Blair, always the queen, rolled her eyes and tried to ignore the dark haired boy. Just because Serena wanted to hang in the slums for a while didn't mean she had to. Her attention was turned toward the others, but that didn't stop the breeze from blowing from his direction and his cologne taking over her senses.

She had always assumed Dan smelled like Brooklyn and Blair found nothing appealing about Brooklyn. She highly doubted he wore anything besides the mediocre soap he'd use to bathe himself and she found it hard to believe that was a regular occurrence. And that was even when she thought about Dan Humphrey. Which was rarely. Almost never. Basically how ones thinks about that stray piece of hair that refuses to lay flat; with annoyance and only for the briefest of seconds.

Once the scent hit her nose she immediately tried to smell for it again, not obviously of course. Her attention left the story Penelope was lamely trying to tell and turned back toward Dan and Serena. She knew instantly that the new delicious scent must have been coming from him. She blinked several times before turning back to look at Penelope. Dan and Serena both too lost in each other to notice their stone queen's temporary break.

Blair's eyes might have been on her other friends, but her thoughts were still on the wooded, heady smell of Dan's cologne. Of course he would smell like some sort of lumberjack. It went with his casual flannel attire, after all. But it wasn't as appalling as she had once assumed it would be. In fact, it was quite alluring. It wasn't the sophisticated, stuffy scent that Chuck Bass wore to make himself seem older. And it wasn't the clean, crisp scent that Nate Archibald wore to keep with his golden boy façade. It was crisp, but with a citrus undertone that she only caught at the tail end. It fit Dan's character, but in all the positive ways.

Blair Waldorf would never admit it, but Daniel Humphrey's cologne was quite enticing.

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><p>The funniest time, in hindsight, that Blair Waldorf caught the scent of Daniel Humphrey's cologne was nearly four years later during their internship at W. At the time she had been completely mortified about wrestling around the floors of such a posh event with a Humphrey. She wasn't even sure what had gotten into her that night. Well, she knew what had gotten into her, but she had been surprised at just how off her game Dan could make her.<p>

Blair was sophisticated. Blair had class. Blair was reserved during proper occasions. Blair was certainly in _control_.

Until Dan walked into the office at W.

Then whatever it was she thought she was melted into oblivion. Blair had worked hard to get this internship. Dan had probably mumbled on in his elitist way during the interview. Blair had dreamt of this opportunity since birth. Dan had probably just stumbled upon the ad in one of their college forums. Blair had been grooming for this moment since she played with her mother's lipstick. Dan just threw on a second-rate suit and a smirk. Blair deserved this - Dan deserved to watch in the shadows.

But then he'd actually been good at it. He actually worked as hard as she did. Blair didn't know anyone worked as hard as she did. He said all the right things, came up with all the right ideas, and managed to have class while doing it. Brooklyn was fighting with her toe to toe. Plus, to make things ultimately worse! Dan had never once tried to step on her to get to the top. In fact, he had helped her on several occasions and it made the fight that much harder. Blair was used to competition: she was best friends with a Greek Goddess that had a perfect smile and excellent backstabbing skills. Competition was second nature, but a competition meant that they both had to be in it for the fight. Dan obviously wasn't in it for the fight. He was in it for the learning experience. Of course, Humphrey was in it for the learning experience.

Ever the poster child.

It wasn't until they had ended up on the floor that Blair realized what she was doing, and more importantly where she was doing it. At the time she thought it was the shock of it all that brought her back into reality, but looking back she knew it had been the familiar, yet exciting smell of Dan's cologne. It wasn't the same exact scent from the Met steps so many years earlier that she had gotten so accustom to in high school. This was a more mature, evening scent that still held the same woodsy undertone.

What brought Blair back to reality wasn't how good she thought Dan smelled it was how instantly realized it was a new cologne he was wearing. She hadn't realized just how familiar she had gotten with his scent back in school and during their time at college. She didn't realize that every time she smelled that familiar citrus, woodsy smell she thought of Dan, whether or not he was present. She related it to him and it never once made her feel uneasy that she did so. It wasn't a smell she grew to dread or hate. It was a smell she correlated with being content. Being in good company.

Blair Waldorf would never admit it, but Daniel Humphrey's cologne was something of a staple in her life.

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><p>The safest time Blair Waldorf caught the scent of Daniel Humphrey's cologne was in a bar while she wore hideous New York City tourism gear and leggings as pants. To this day she still swears they were the only thing in the store even remotely appropriate. That was the day they'd really had their first fight that lead to Blair believing she might have possibly lost him for good. After everything they'd been through together, after all the times he'd stood by her side without one word edge wise, and there she was pleading with any sort of powerful being that she could find him in that hotel lobby.<p>

It had been a stressful day, no one would argue with her on that. She nearly had to call off her wedding due to a video sent to Gossip Girl, but that probably would have been a blessing to hell she was in now. Now she was married to a prince who wanted nothing more for her to be a doll on his arm for the next year. She'd run and who was to blame her? She ran to the only person she could trust. The only person she felt had her back no matter what and then in the mix of things had forgotten to be grateful.

When she found him sitting at the bar she gave out an audible sigh of relief and hurried toward him. Her apology, as best of one she could muster, was heartfelt and sincere. She couldn't do this without him. She couldn't so much of what she'd done in the past year without him. Dan Humphrey had been Blair Waldorf's knight in shining armor while she trudged through the mess of choosing between the dark prince and the evil entrepreneur. It had literally been a fairytale nightmare and Dan had stuck by her without question and without asking for anything in return.

And when he swore he'd always be there for her she couldn't help but lean in to hug him. When she did she instantly felt safe and the weight of the world nearly lift from her shoulders. She still had a nightmare ahead of her, but she knew he'd be there and that's what mattered. She was weary, but she knew he'd be her fight when she had none. She was terrified, but she knew he'd be her bravery when she needed it the most. And as if to confirm all of those comforted feelings she felt, the light scent of his cologne mingled into her senses to reassure her. The scent that had once surprised her and lead her to associate it wit him now brought her the reassurance she needed.

Blair Waldorf would never admit it, but Daniel Humphrey's cologne was what helped keep her going.

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><p>The most memorable time Blair Humphrey caught the scent of Daniel Humphrey's cologne was just last night.<p>

It wasn't when they were getting their pictures taken outside of the cathedral. It wasn't the time he pulled her in close as they danced to tell her just how beautiful she was to him. It wasn't during the time they had made their rounds to speak with all the guests in attendance. It wasn't the time he had leaned in to quickly kiss her neck before walking towards Nate's family as she continued to speak with her fathers. It wasn't during the time he stood behind her as they cut their cake. It wasn't during the time they rode in the back of the Royale Royce quietly, her legs kicked over his lap while she rested her head on his shoulder and he continually played with the rings that graced her left hand.

The rings that were a partner to his Harry Winston selection.

It wasn't until they where standing in the elevator that led to their suite for the night that she finally caught the scent of his cologne. And it nearly set her on fire. She had really just meant to lean in and snuggle his neck, doing whatever she could to be close to him. But as soon as she caught the familiar smell she had fallen in love with so many years earlier she lost it. She instantly let her lips touch the sensitive spot behind his ear before trailing lingering kissing along his jaw.

It didn't him take him long to respond to his wife's teasing. He gently cupped her face and pulled her into a dizzying kiss. His tongue easily found hers as he pulled her flesh against him. Her fingers racked through his neat curls and she moaned against his mouth when she felt his fingertips slid down the bare flesh of her back. She knew her husband's favorite part of her body was her back. He'd never been shy about admiring it and that had been mostly why she'd wanted a backless dress. The front of her dress was very modest, having a rounded neck that rested on her collarbones, and attached just behind at the base of her neck. But the lace was cut out in the back to create an alluring gap that she knew would drive her now husband mad.

Dan had just reached the discreet zipper at the back of her dress when the elevator stopped and the door opened into their suite. Blair pushed away from her husband with an inviting smirk and walked into their luxurious home for the night. Her hair was pulled up into soft curls, but several had fallen out during the reception and now left a stark contrast against the porcelain skin of her back that Dan had the sudden urge to kiss. Dan pushed himself off the wall of the elevator and was about to reach for his wife when he saw her starting to undo her dress. First she undid the button that held top together and then slowly - peeking over her shoulder at her husband - started to pull down the zipper.

Once the simple and elegant garment hit the floor all she was left with was her ivory colored heels and light pink lace panties. Dan's mouth literally watered and he quickly stepped forward to wrap his arms around her petite frame and began to kiss the base of her neck. Blair's head lulled back on his shoulder and her eyes closed in utter bliss. She couldn't remember a time when she felt this at peace and happy. She never wanted it to end.

And now it never had to.

When he reached her ear he mumbled things that made her blush and squirm with excitement. Her hands tightened around his fingers as she let them roam over her bare skin. He finally gripped her hips, directing her to turn and face him. When she did she gasped at the contrast she felt as her bare breasts came against the starched feel of his white shirt. She made quick work of removing his suit jacket and started on his tie and shirt. They were both anxious and it showed in their quick, stumbled movements. Within moments Dan's chest was finally bare against hers and their mouths met again for another passionate kiss.

Dan easily picked up his bride and moved her to the closest surface, a narrow side table that sat up against the wall near the elevator. Without thinking of the vase that sat atop it, he moved Blair onto it sending the glass shattering on the floor. They both laughed at Dan's obvious haste and inwardly noted they'd have to pay for that in the morning before they left. But it was soon forgotten by both parties when Dan's mouth latched on to one of Blair's taunt nipples. She threw her head back in pleasure, letting her legs wrap around him. She felt the heat rising in her veins and her need for him growing by the second.

When his mouth finished teasing her nipples, he slowly kissed a trail up her chest and back to her mouth. Blair welcomed him and gasped against his lips about just how much she needed him. Her hands put her words into action as she undid his belt and pants before pushing them down off his hips. Dan's control had been questionable all night, but when he felt her small hand grasp his harden erection he was gone. He groaned her name and made easy work of removing her last piece of clothing.

That was when Blair realized her heels where still on. She reached past him to remove them, but he stopped her. She smirked at his silent request and kissed him instead. Her husband was a gentleman in every way, but when it came to their love life he made no apologizes for his obvious kinks.

As he entered her Blair saw stars. This wasn't a time for gentle, drawn out lovemaking. They were both hungry and in need of release. They had been all night and Blair's stomach coiled at the deep, hard thrusts Dan made into her. Her nails dug into his shoulders and his lips attached to her neck. His hands were gripping her thighs so tight she was sure she'd have marks when they were finished, but she was beyond caring.

Her toes curled inside of her heels and her cries became louder as his pace quickened. His thrusts grew shallow and his breathing became ragged, and her hands grabbed his face to pull him into a hard, passionate kiss. Their tongues mingled together lazily and with no rhythm, but their bodies were buzzing. Blair felt herself falling over the edge and cried out her husband's name as she did so. Her head flew back and her nails drew blood on his bare shoulders. Several thrusts later, Dan followed her over the edge and groaned against her shoulder.

That was the first of many times that night. The others were slower, more lingered and cherished, but still just as passionate as the first.

The next day, Blair woke slowly from her blissful sleep. She smiled at the memories of last night etched in her muscles. Her eyes opened lazily and she was met with the form of her sleeping husband. He lay on his back, the sheet coming low on his bare hips. He was always handsome, but he was absolute perfection when he slept. Blair couldn't help but want to be closer to him. She scooted herself into him, causing him to stir and she smiled when he said good morning. She kissed his shoulder and snuggled into the crook of his neck, smiling at the lingering scent of his cologne.

"God, you smell good." She said with a lazy smile.

Blair Humphrey had to admit it; Daniel Humphrey's cologne was her undoing.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'd love to hear your thoughts! And get your suggestions for G, H, & I!


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